dill

dill — noun

1. A herb grown for its thin, soft leaves and clusters of small yellow flowers. Coo

1.nounB1
Definition

A herb grown for its thin, soft leaves and clusters of small yellow flowers. Cooks use both the leaves and the seeds of this plant to give a fresh, slightly sharp taste to foods such as pickles, grilled fish, and salads.

Example

Rin added fresh dill to the potato salad for extra flavour.

collocation: fresh dill

The recipe calls for a tablespoon of dried dill seeds.

collocation: dill seeds

Common collocations
  • fresh dill
  • dried dill
  • dill seeds
  • dill leaves
  • dill pickles
  • dill weed
  • dill flavour
Synonyms
  • dill weed

    refers specifically to the leafy part of the plant rather than the seeds

Common Mistakes

I put fennel in the pickle.
I put dill in the pickle.
Dill (蒔蘿) and fennel (茴香) look similar but have different flavours; dill is traditional for pickles.

Word family

  • dilled
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Dill, fennel, and parsley are all green herbs with feathery leaves, but they differ in taste and use. Dill has a fresh, slightly tangy flavour and is most commonly paired with pickles, fish, and potato dishes. Fennel has a sweeter, liquorice-like taste and is often used in sausages, roasts, and salads — its bulb is also eaten as a vegetable. Parsley has a milder, clean taste and is used widely as a garnish or finish for sauces, soups, and pasta. In cooking, choose dill when you want a sharp, pickle-like note; fennel for a sweet, aromatic warmth; and parsley for a fresh, neutral finish.

dill ↗fennelparsley

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • fresh dill
  • dried dill
  • dill pickles

Prepositions

  • with dill
  • in dill

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'dill' comes from Old English 'dile', which is related to Old Norse 'dilla' meaning 'to soothe' — an ancient reference to the herb's traditional use as a digestive aid and stomach-calming remedy.